3 Best Synthetic Air Compressor Oil Reviews (2024 Update)

Last Updated on April 16, 2024 by John Patterson

Air compressor is a day-to-day tool for every automotive enthusiast.

But what turns out to worry about is- maintaining a good performance level and lifespan.

And we leave no stone unturned to find the proper lubricant to end this struggle.

Talking about lubricants, one of the best practices is to use synthetic oils for air compressors.

But a challenge that comes with it is to find the best synthetic air compressor oil.

Click to read oil vs. oilless air compressor.

So the common questions are: what kind of air compressor oil do I need/what best air compressor oil should I use?

Because both fully synthetic and 100 synthetic oils are in the market, each comes with some sub-types.

Summary line? Choosing the correct synthetic air compressor oil is way too hectic and confusing.

Worry not; this guide is wholly crafted to give you a firm idea of what the best best air compressor oil, and how to choose the right one for you.

Take a cup of coffee, sit back, and go through the article we’ve written.

Hopefully, you’ll be back to us once again, thanking us for the best air compressor oil for an air compressor.

Let’s get going-

Top Synthetic Air compressor Oil Comparison Chart

Best synthetic air compressor Oil Reviews of 2024

#1. Royal Purple 01513 Synfilm Recip

Presenting the #1 ranked synthetic air compressor oil of the market- the Royal Purple 01513 Synfilm Recip. Its high-performance best air compressor oil is made solely for heavyweight motor and air compressor uses.

It works as a lubricant, a wear resistor, a temperature conductor, and a friction reducer. In one word- it’s a 360-degree solution to enhance the performance of your compressor.

Let’s have a closer look at its features and benefits-

Features and Benefits

Royal Purple Additive Technology:

Royal Purple has done significantly in formulating this synthetic air compressor oil. It’s formulated with the brand’s proprietary synergetic technology. And the technology itself is proven to run your compressor smoother, quieter, cooler, and more extended.

It’s Super Easy to Apply:

We’ve gone through many of the synthetic air compressor oils, but we’ve not seen many of them with an easy-to-apply physique. But this model has a pointy tip that makes it super easy to apply. You don’t need to get any additional nozzles or anything likely to use them immediately.

Good Filming Strength:

You may not hear about it quite often, but the filming strength is one of the sole properties that define the quality of the synthetic air compressor oil. This best air compressor oil from Royal Purple has a good grade, which is all good for the health of your air compressor.

Reduces Wear and Carbon Deposits:

One of the most distinctive signs of its effectiveness is it’s good at keeping carbon buildups away. Also, it reduces the friction force to a reasonable extent, eventually reducing internal wear.

It’s A Perfect air compressor oil For Piston-type Compressors:

The amount of air compressor oil you need each time is highly minimal. So, we can say that it’s one of the cost-effective oils with a good promise of quality. Additionally, this oil is best performed with reciprocating air compressors of piston type.

Verdict

Although it can be mixed with another air compressor oil, we highly recommend you use this lubricant solely on your compressor. Indeed, you’ll be happy with its performance, and it will be the last brand you’ll stick to.

#2. Powermate Px P018-0084SP

While working with an air compressor at an average temperature, nothing seems to be a hardship. But there are some cases where the compressor must operate either at a shallow temperature (-40 degrees Celsius) or a very high temperature (240 degrees Celsius).

We’ve got some good news for you if you face such situations very often. The synthetic air compressor oil we’ll discuss now is a survivor at high and low temperatures.

And the name is Powermate Px P018-0084SP. Let’s hover into a more detailed insight into its features.

Features and Benefits

25% Better Protection for Your Air Compressor:

This great Powermate Px P018-0084SP is proven to provide 25% more protection compared to other brands. And that’s probably the best feature we’ve found in this newly launched product.

It Starts with A 10 De3gree Colder Temperature:

Powermate Px P018-0084SP is highly compatible with keeping your compressor running smoothly even in cold temperatures. Specifically, it can start 10 degrees colder than many other synthetic air compressor oils.

It can survive At All Seasons:

Another excellent quality of this lubricant is it’s an all-season compressor oil. No. Matter it’s chilly winter or hot summer, it will take care of your air compressor equally well.

A Wide Pump Operating System:

We’ve seen many brands claim a proper operating temperature. But this one here actually does that. As long as we’ve seen, it has a flashpoint of 238 degrees Celsius and a pour point of -40 degrees Celsius. You can efficiently operate your air compressor in any temperature range with this best air compressor oil.

It Offers Four Packaging:

As per your essence, you can choose from the four packages that the product is offered with. There is a pack of 2, 3, 4, and 1.

Verdict

Although Powermate Px P018-0084SP would cost you a few extra bucks, running your air compressor at extraordinarily high or low temperatures may be worth it. This compressor is a perfect fit for chilly winter, hot summer, and every other temperature. Hopefully, you’ll be happy with the quality of this best air compressor oil.

#3. DEWALT D55001 Synthetic Compressor Oil

Whether you have portable air compressors, a heavy-duty car air compressor, or any rotational device, you won’t be compromising the quality of its air compressor oil. Beat the benefits of regular synthetic oil for your compressor with DEWALT D55001 Synthetic Compressor Oil, our #3 pick on the list.

As you know, DeWalt- the name itself is a promise of superb quality and excellent performance. On that same note, we’ve found rounds of applause from these air compressor oil users.

We will be breaking down the feature of this air compressor oil in the next section-

Features and Benefits

A Promise of Protection to Your Pump:

Whether you use an air compressor or vacuum pump, you won’t be compromising the quality of performance and security for it. DEWALT D55001 is a 1-quart pack made of premium-grade synthetic material.

It’s good at Dealing with Extreme Temperatures:

In many cases, air compressors fail due to excessive temperature and the lubricant’s inability to eat that up. But DeWalt is aware of the situation and made this lubricant work at even the highest temperature a compressor system can reach.

It Doesn’t Let Any Carbon Buildup Take Place:

We mainly invest in the synthetic air compressor oil because we don’t want any carbon build-up in the valves. This model serves us precisely with that.

Anti-wear Protection:

Wearing out parts is one of the common issues that every automotive owner hates. This air compressor oil will work in your favor and protest the wearing as much as possible.

It’s good to go for 200 Hours:

Once you fill your compressor with this synthetic air compressor oil, it will be good to go for the next 200 hours. So, you’ll be free of worries for almost and year.

Verdict

Dewalt is the guarantor of the air compressor we’ve just discussed. Starting from the protection, it provides lubrication, wearing-less function, a long-lasting lifetime of the compressor, and so on. What do you think of this air compressor oil?

Air compressor oil substitute

Although, we are not recommending you use anything else instead of the synthetic air compressor oils. But there have been a lot of places where people are getting over with using so. For portable air compressors, many engineers mainly use automotive transmission fluid, also known as ATF.

In this section, let us give you a brief on the fact-

Automatic Transmission Fluids (ATF) are a lubricant used in industrial-grade automobiles. Many properties in ATFs suit the necessity of a compressor fluid as well.

For example, in an automotive system, the ATF performs the task of lubricating, cooling parts, keeping the deposits away, playing the role of a hydraulic medium, and reducing friction forces among elements.

You may already see similarities between what the synthetic air compressor oil can do and what ATF does.

But there are some drawbacks as well. If you use ATF instead of air compressor oil, there is a good chance of incompatibility between the existing lubricant and the newly put ATF.

Also, they can cause additive issues if your compressor is not portable. So, we would recommend you consult with an expert before getting such air compressor oil substitutes in use.

Recommended Best Automotive Transmission Fluid on Amazon:

[amazon box=”B01EKMGG92″]

Vacuum pump oil vs. compressor oil

You may have heard of using the term ‘compressor and vacuum lubricant’ quite often. The fact is, many companies treat these two types of lubricant oils as one. But actually, they are not.

Go through the section below to understand the difference between them-

Vacuum pump oil is usually made out of a high-performance mineral base. The formula of this best oil contains an excellent grade of anti-wearing properties. So, they induce proper lubrication among the parts of a vacuum pump. They also secure vacuum pumps with long-lasting durability and protection from corrosion and rust.

Vacuum pump oils are also known for their property of containing anti-oxidants. This is impactful when it comes to enhancing the service life of the lubricants.

As a result, you don’t have to use lubricants frequently to get the best performance out of your vacuum pump.

Best Air compressor oils, on the other hand, are manufactured to reduce the carbon buildup between the compressor valves. Which eventually results in a long-lasting air compressor? There are many variations of best air compressor oils regarding viscosity, organic chemicals, etc.

In this post, you can already see some variations of air compressor oils. And choosing the right one from them takes a toll on long-lasting research. However, the best air compressor oil is synthetic oil, which we discuss throughout the whole post.

Recommended Best Vacuum Pump Oil on Amazon:

[amazon box=”B000X1E59S”]

What kind of oil should I put in my car?

Answer: Cars have delicate parts and operations that are needed to be taken care of with maximum protection. So, we recommend synthetic air compressor oil for the air compressor of your car. If possible, get 100% synthetic oil for the best performance.

What weight oil should I use?

Answer: Air compressor oils are of 20 and 30 weights in most cases. And the choice of one depends on what type of work your compressor is occupied with. If it’s lightweight applications, 20 weighing air compressors are excellent. For heavier applications, we would recommend 30 weights.

How to add oil to an air compressor?

Answer: To add the air compressor to replace the old ones, you have to drain out the old oil first. And then, with the help of a funnel, you can put the new oil in the compressor. Once done, seal the compressor drain again.

Can I use motor oil in my air compressor?

Answer: You can use motor oil in your air compressor only when the motor oil is engineered to be okay with compressors and automotive. But using random motor oil in an air compressor may bring on issues such as malfunctions, internal parts damage, lack of compressor performance, etc.

How much compressor oil do I need?

Answer: This answer varies from case to case. There are many cases where a portable air compressor can get done with just 4oz of air compressor oil. And there are some industrial cases where you must put more than 100oz of air compressor oil to keep the system running.

What kind of oil for air tools?

Answer: Air tools may need lubrication up to a certain extent. To keep them on the run, we recommend using a high-grade synthetic air compressor or motor oil on them.

Where can I buy synthetic oil?

Answer: Best Air compressor oil is a standard item in any auto parts store. You can avail of popular models from there. But if you’re looking forward to moving one step further with the compressor oil’s quality, we recommend using branded oils.

Our recommended oil for the air compressor is available in online stores like Amazon, eBay, etc. Some brands offer retail services on their own.

Final Verdict

So, that’s the end of today’s synthetic air compressor oil reviews for 2023.

We’ve mainly talked about synthetic oils because this is the best kind of practice to use those on your compressor.

The only fact left unsolved is choosing the right one from a list of them.

And hopefully, this guide will be the support center yours to do that.

Best of luck!